Encourage guests to arrive dressed in costume and ready to have fun!

While Fat Tuesday is the traditional time to have a Mardi Gras party, you can have one any time of the year. What better way to liven things up? It's also a great way to celebrate the ongoing spirit of New Orleans.

Decorations

There are many Mardi Gras supplies out there, but you can create a fun party without having to purchase a lot of supplies.

Think green, gold, and purple!

*Use lots of green, gold, and purple balloons.
*Brightly colored poster boards to create the "happy and sad" theatre faces as well as some eye masks.
*Beads, beads, beads!
*Christmas lights can add an accent to the rich colors.
*Create your own noisemakers with any type of container and a few beans or rice inside.

Invitations

The invitations can include the Mardi Gras masks and lots of green, yellow, and purple beads with "Celebrate" or "Party" on the face cover.

Food/Drink

Consider a blend of seafood, Cajun, and jambalaya. Easy recipes can be found online or in many cookbooks. Offer a range of festive drinks as well, such as a Hurricane, Bloody Mary, and Mint Juleps.

Music

An inexpensive option is a compilation of music on one CD. Here are some popular styles of Mardi Gras music:

*Jazz
*Zydeco
*Blues
*Cajun

Have a festive Fat Tuesday!